Edgewater council to consider settlement proposal in sex discrimination case

Friday

Mar 1, 2013 at 5:05 PMMar 1, 2013 at 6:19 PM

Former unpaid reserve police officer Laura Muniz wants a job and about $15,000 for what she calls sexual discrimination because Edgewater Police Department did not hire her as a paid officer.

MARK I. JOHNSONSTAFF WRITER

Former unpaid reserve police officer Laura Muniz wants a job and about $15,000 for what she calls sexual discrimination because Edgewater Police Department did not hire her as a paid officer. The City Council will take up a settlement proposal when it meets at 6 p.m. Monday in chambers at City Hall, 104 N. Riverside Drive. It could decide to accept, decline or counter the offer. Edgewater City Attorney Aaron Wolfe offered no recommendation to the council in its agenda. City Manager Tracey Barlow had no comment on the proposal and referred calls to Wolfe. Wolfe said he cannot comment on the settlement proposal or possible lawsuit until after he talks with the council during its meeting. The threat of suit comes after the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission dismissed Muniz's January 2012 complaint that the city discriminated against her when two men were hired ahead of her to full-time paid police officer positions. She was fired a short time later. In that Dec. 18 dismissal notice, the EEOC stated, "based on its determination (it) was unable to conclude that the information obtained establishes violations of the statutes." A spokesman for the EEOC in Washington refused to comment on the dismissal, saying he was prohibited from even acknowledging the existence of Muniz's complaint. Still, a Notice of Suit Rights gives Muniz's Orlando-based attorney Daniel Brodersen until March 18 to file suit on behalf of his client. Brodersen did not respond to calls to his office seeking comment on the offer and possible lawsuit. In his draft lawsuit complaint, Brodersen claims while Muniz was fully trained and worked full time — although unpaid — as a reserve officer for Edgewater Police Department, the city declined to hire her as a full-time paid officer. "By failing and refusing to hire Muniz as a full-time, paid police officer and instead hiring two less qualified males, Edgewater engaged in sex (gender) discrimination against her," the complaint said. As a result of that discrimination, Brodersen continued, his client suffered past, present and future losses, emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, humiliation and loss of dignity. This is not the first time the council has taken up the Muniz matter. Elected officials met behind closed doors in April 2012 to consider negotiating a settlement agreement for the EEOC complaint. Edgewater is also dealing with a discrimination lawsuit by a firefighter. Andrew Morgan, 25, filed a lawsuit last month in Circuit Court under Florida's Whistle-blower's Act claiming harassment and discrimination because of his age. Morgan, who was fired in August 2012, claims a fire lieutenant attacked him and threatened his life. The suit said when he complained about the treatment, the city retaliated by firing him.